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bees like osage too!
Pat B:
Tim, they may have been swarming as bees do when the hive divides. The new queen will relocate to start a new hive. Why they are on the osage dust I don't know. Maybe using it as an mite repellent or something like that.
FlintWalker:
Awful early for bees to be swarming ain't it? :-\
lowell:
This got me thinking more and searched the www and found this info that may answer the saw dust atrraction.
"Pollen is a necessary part of the bee's diet and without it brood rearing would diminish very rapidly and the activation of the bee's hypopharyngeal glands would not occur. Pollen is generally regarded as the source of protein in the bee's diet; however, it not only provides essential proteins but lipids, minerals, and vitamins. Additionally, pollen contains phago-stimulants (Doull, 1974) encouraging the bee to eat it. Some 35 years ago it was observed that bees collect powdery materials such as coal dust, fine earth, saw dust, rotted wood, etc. in times of pollen dearth (Spencer-Booth, 1960). These observations suggested that it should be possible to feed bees with suitable artificial materials to replace the missing natural diet of pollen nb. the collection of tar from the roads when propolis is in short supply."
Huh... maybe there is 2 reasons to like osage dust!! ::)
mullet:
I figured the Queen thought it was a Mother Lode of pollen.
Alpinbogen:
Several times I've had osage firewood (waste) in the house when the wood wasps decided to come out. Man, when you pick up a piece and see those suckers starting to climb out, you can't throw the log into the woodstove fast enough! :o
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